Want to Print a Kidney in 3D? Start Thinking Small!

Although human organ transplantation offers a very important lifeline to people with serious diseases, there is not enough organ donation to meet this need. The promise of 3D printing organs is a possible solution to address this deficiency, but it is fraught with complexity and technical barriers that limit the types of organs that can be printed.

Researchers at the Stevens Institute of Technology say that with a microfluidic-based printer, we can print biological objects measured in the size of dozens of micrometers on a single cellular scale.

In addition to working on a smaller scale, Microfluidics enable multiple bio-inks, each containing different cells and tissue precursors, to be used interchangeally in a single printed structure, according to the study published in the journal Scientific Reports.

The study findings could pave the way for 3D pressure on any organ at any time, even directly on the skin on an open wound.

#3Dprint #kidney #transplantation #microfluidic

Study details: Zaeri A, et al.Ralf Zgeib, Kai Cao, Fucheng Zhang, Robert C. Chang. Numerical analysis on the effects of microfluidic-based bioprinting parameters on the microfiber geometrical outcomes. Scientific Reports, 2022; 12 (1) http://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-07392-0